


Aligned and Fallen into Place

by caerynlae



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 08:25:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11144616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caerynlae/pseuds/caerynlae
Summary: With his Mum and Walter finally a couple, Ralph’s life couldn’t be better. A short fluffy story from Ralph’s POV in which Paige and Walter are picking him up from school together.





	Aligned and Fallen into Place

The last lesson of the day was physics. We had our new teacher for the first time today, Ms. Benetton. She was very impressed with my calculation of the trajectory for a thrown ball under the action of gravity. It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t mention that I had to work out these exact calculations for an actual missile before that was threatening to go down in a densely populated neighbourhood.

My fellow students already seemed to resent the little that I did mention. But I don’t mind, I’m used to their reactions to me by now. There was a time where I would’ve said nothing at all during class. But those times have passed. Meeting Walter and the others showed me that I’m not alone and that’s enough for me. I don’t need the acceptance of each and every one of my class mates.

Walter is waiting for me at the end of the hallway. He and my Mum were planning on picking me up together today. Mum told me she has to sort out some administrative formalities for me with the school today. Walter promised to tag along and that we would look at my chemistry poster while Mum was busy. It’s unusual for Walter not to have seen my project before its completion. But we were working on that poster exclusively in class and there always seemed too many more exciting projects going on at the garage for me to bother to pull the chemistry poster out while working in the garage. When I mentioned it in passing last night, Walter immediately expressed his interest in it, so Mum suggested we might as well look at the printed version of the poster today.

I was immediately all for it. I love Walter’s interest in my projects but it’s even better when I see that he is willing to come to my school to see it. It makes it feel more real, having Walter come to the places with me where I’m usually without him.

I slowly approach him, looking up at him. He is leaning against a wall, hands crossed in front of his chest. He is completely oblivious to the looks the older girls coming out of the biology classroom are throwing at him, just for them to then turn to each other and giggle loudly. But I’m used to this kind of completely oblivious Walter by now.

“Hey Ralph, how was your day?” Walter pushes off the wall and offers to take my telescope off me that I was showing to my class for another project today. I gratefully hand it over and reply, “It was okay, I guess. I’ve been thinking about our idea for the information extraction algorithm during the math lesson to pass the time. And I think I came up with a viable solution to our problem. I can’t wait to get working on it at the garage.”

“That sounds great, I’ve also thought about how we can make the algorithm more stable during learning by using a multiplicative control variate. Maybe we can compare notes when we get back to the garage.” Together we slowly start heading two corridors over to the chemistry area.

“Yes, that’s sounds great. No cases taking up your time today then?”

“None so far, it seems to be a quiet day. Ah, I see your poster in the distance. It’s the only one that looks professional enough to be yours.” He chuckles and bumps my shoulder. I grin up at him sheepishly, a look of understanding passing between us. There is no doubt in either of our minds that at no point in our lives we would’ve printed a poster where the colours weren’t perfectly adjusted to each other or where everything wasn’t symmetrically aligned. Never mind that the other posters had wrinkles in them from careless transport and the vast majority of them where hung up so crookedly that no spirit level from Happy was required to test that hypothesis. 

We arrive in front of it and I give Walter exactly the 1 minute 31 seconds it will take him to read through the text on the poster and process the diagrams. Just as he finishes I start explaining all the details that didn’t fit on the poster anymore. All the details no one else wanted to hear, not even the teacher. But Walter soaks them up attentively asking a clarifying question occasionally and sharing his own ideas and observations with me.

We both startle when Ms. Benetton suddenly speaks up. “You have a very bright child there, sir.” She smiles down at me and then glances back at Walter. It’s not the first time someone mistook Walter as my father. It only makes sense from an outsider’s point of view, I guess. Usually Walter is quick to clear up that confusion however, even though I secretly can’t help but wish that he wouldn’t. This is the first time this happened since my Mum and Walter got together though and I can’t help but feel hope bubble up in me. Walter rests his hand on my shoulder and we quickly look at each other. I can see that he is thinking about the same facts as me, so I quickly give him a nod and hope he understands what I’m trying to convey.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say. The day he came into my life, was the best day of my life.” Ms. Benetton probably thinks that was a weird comment to make but I understand of course that Walter is not referring to my date of birth. And I can’t help but grin like a lunatic and even Walter is showing this half smile of his, his hand gently squeezing my shoulder.

If Ms. Benetton was confused by the comment, she didn’t let it show and continued, “He solved physics equations faster than any other, even older students, that I have ever seen. Have you ever considered moving him up a year?”

“Oh yes, I wanted to but his mother was against it and Ralph here agrees that it is most beneficial to the development of his emotional quotient if he spends the day around people his own age. He is however taking a few college classes at night and I and my employees always have a challenging project ready for him if he gets bored after school.” I’m amazed how good Walter seems to have gotten at conversing with a Normal. Being in a relationship with my Mum really accelerated his EQ development.

“Wow, college classes. That’s impressive. Have you ever had your IQ tested, Ralph?” I’m glad she also seems to want to talk to me. Too often grown-ups completely ignore us and just keep talking to, dare I say it?, my parents.

I hope she is prepared for a shock because while I don’t flaunt my IQ (unlike other people I could mention), I also take pride in it and would never lie to such a direct question. “Yes, in fact, with an IQ of 200, I even managed to outscore my dad by 3 points.” I don’t know how the word _dad_ slipped out. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to think the term _parents_ earlier, probably. For once I don’t care how someone reacts to learning of my IQ. I glance up at Walter, trying to gauge his reaction. I’m not quite sure what he is thinking. He seems rooted to the spot. I think maybe my comment send his brain into overdrive. That happens quite often when he is trying to process emotionally loaded implications.

Before Ms. Benetton can reply, my Mum walks around the corner into the corridor we are standing in. “Oh, there you are. I got lost twice trying to find my way to the chemistry wing.”

Walter turns towards her, confusion in his eyes. “But we were here once about two years ago.” I sigh and suppress a palm face. Just as I thought he was getting better, he proves again that he has no clue how high above our intellect is compared to a Normal’s. But thankfully my mum understands just fine and is no longer offended by Walter’s unknowingly insulting remarks. Before they can start another discussion on the subject however, I’m quick to interrupt, introducing Ms. Benetton to my mother. My mother, bless her EQ talent, easily strikes up a conversation with Ms. Benetton as we start walking down the corridor towards the exit.

Walter and I easily fall into step with each other and Walter starts explaining the concept of control variates to me. I listen attentively but I can’t help my thoughts from drifting off to think, _Finally everything is aligned and has fallen into place_.


End file.
